My father was a soldier during World War II. He was then in his early twenties and it was rumored that my grandfather who was an albularyo or quack doctor gave him an amulet to protect him while serving the United States Armed Forces in the Far East. Stories about the uncanny abilities of my father were shared by some people who thought that he possessed certain powers because of the amulet.
My own family was not aware that had an amulet that gave him special powers. I don’t remember that my own mother knew about it. My father was an amiable person who had many friends. He once served as a municipal official in our town.
He retired from government service at the age of 63 and together with my mother they migrated to the US in 1992 and became American citizens. This was a privilege afforded by his serving the USAFFE during the war. However, they just stayed there for about two years because my father grew restless. He also kept much to himself and we his children believed that it was because he didn’t feel at home in the US as all his children lived in the Philippines.
My parents returned to the Philippines in 1995 but instead of enjoying his retirement in his home country with us his children around, my father got sick. In 2004, he was diagnosed with a heart illness which brought him in and out of the hospital. He was in serious condition but somehow he seemed strong, restless, and in constant agony. There was even an instance when he got out of his hospital bed and hurried out of the room because of a supposed “tulumanon” or program he needed to do.
He was ranting mad and in much agony. The hospital attendants had to bind him on his bed because he cannot be restrained. Because of the mysterious condition my father was in, we decided to bring him home.
At home, he was always in agony saying, ‘sakit kaayo” (It’s very painful). While lifting his arm, he would utter, “Kuhaa ninyo” (Remove it)! We asked him what he meant and he would answer repeatedly, “Kuhaa ninyo kay sakit kaayo” (Remove it because it’s very painful)!
We wanted to know what was hurting him. It was during that time that he showed us the thing embedded in his arm. The amulet became visible as he showed it to us. He then asked our eldest brother to take it out and receive it but my brother refused.
We then approached priests known for deliverance and healing like Msgr. Fred Kriekenbeck. He and other priests asked my father to receive the sacrament of penance. My father told the priests that he never used the amulet except during the war. He confessed that as he aged, he suffered excruciating pain and he thought he would die.
At a loss about what to do with my father, I contacted my friend, Brother Stanley Villavicencio who gained prominence because of his near-death experience and his subsequent devotion to the Divine Mercy. (Brod Stanley has since passed away).
After my father was again rushed to the hospital, I asked Brod Stanley to see him. My father told Brod Stanley the same story he previously told the priests. After the private conversation with my father, Brod Stanley told me to pray the 7-7 Chaplet of the Divine Mercy.
According to Brod Stanley, these prayers were recited by a family of Divine Mercy devotees for their grandmother who also possessed an “anting-anting”. The old woman also suffered terrible pain and was reduced to skin and bones but she remained alive and in constant agony. Brod Stanley told me that after the family prayed the 7-7 Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the old woman passed away peacefully.
We did what Brod Stanley told us, reciting the 7-7 Chaplet of Divine Mercy for 7 days, 7 times a day, starting 7 o’clock in the morning at every two hours interval, 7, 9, 11, 1, 3, 5, 7, (7 times).
I enjoined my siblings that we pray together because we live far from each other. I prayed the 7-7 chaplet and at 7:00 pm, all of us were at the hospital for the 7:00 PM chaplet, the last prayers for the day. Before we started the 7-7 prayers, my father had a creatinine level of 7 and was scheduled for operation for dialysis procedure.
We started the 7-7 on a Tuesday. The following day he was scheduled for operation but while praying the 7 am chaplet at the hospital, I was greatly surprised when told that the dialysis was canceled because my father’s kidney had improved.
From then on, we fervently prayed the 7-7 prayers and the routine was for the whole family to meet at 7 pm for the last chaplet. By God’s grace, my father’s health improved, yet he was still in agony because of the pain in his arm where the amulet was embedded.
By Saturday, we were advised that we could check out because his kidney is functioning normally. We checked out two days later and continued our 7-7 prayers at home. Monday was the last day.
At home, we arranged a little altar at my father’s bedside with the image of the Divine Mercy and Saint Faustina placed beside it. When I was reciting the 7th and last chaplet, my attention was riveted to the image focused on the door where Jesus Christ was standing. It was the first time I noticed it. As I focused intently on the image, something very unusual happened.
We saw that the stains of blood on the clothes of Christ and the red rays at the left side of the image looked like real living blood, while the white rays of water at the right side were sparkling. I was convinced the sight of the image manifested God’s living presence while we prayed.
The following day before going to work I visited Papa in his room and learned that starting 12:00 midnight until about 3: am, he was in agony because of the pain in his arm. I cried because, during those hours where he was in pain, I had a slight headache and could not sleep too which was rather unusual for me. I cried as I felt I should have spent time with him. In that instant, I decided that before going to work, I would recite 7 chaplets with him so he could rest and sleep. However every time I recited the chaplet, my head ached and when I finish a chaplet I felt relaxed. Despite the painful experience, I still continued praying and completed the 7 chaplets.
In the afternoon of that same day, my brother who was visiting Papa called me and told me to go home because papa, for him, seemed to be dying. I contacted our family doctor to go to the house and I will meet him there. By God’s grace, the doctor arrived at the house ahead of me. Whereupon he told me that the pulse rate of papa was below normal and going down. I looked at my father and I thought that he was in death throes.
The doctor then asked if we would resuscitate him as the pulse rate was now very critical. I said let it be a natural death. After talking to the doctor I started saying the 7 chaplets with the people around me and every time I recited the prayers and the petitions, my head ached again but the pain did not stop me from praying. (I felt that every time I say the prayers, something is fighting me).
To ease the pain, at that time, I had somebody put an ice pack on my forehead while praying. My petition at the beginning of each chaplet was “Lord, please forgive Papa of all his sins, let him be in your kingdom and let your angels and martyrs meet him and bring him THERE”.
While praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy with no medication or anything else, the doctors advised me that the pulse rate of Papa is rising coming back to normal and the doctor left us because papa was already breathing normally.
From then on, aside from our personal prayers, I/we always include the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. Upon waking up and before sleeping, I say the chaplet with my father.
My mother who was also sick during those times died four months after my father was delivered and healed from the bondage of the amulet. Papa lived for almost three more years, his agony slowly abated until it finally disappeared.
He died at the age of 90, spiritually cleansed and at peace, the power of Satan through the “anting-anting” crushed to nothing, and the power of the MOST HIGH prevailed.
The Powerful Love of Our Father, thru the Glory of His Son, Our Lord Jesus, our King of Mercy, the Most Powerful Healer, is always available to us, His Children.
(The author, Helen Hilayo is married and has 2 grown up children. A certified public accountant, she is currently residing in Lapulapu City. Helen is sharing this personal story to proclaim God’s mercy and grace).
